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REMINDER: Per PD policy, please do not share a link to, describe how to search for, request a link to, or request a PM about streaming video of a NBA game that is not coming directly through the NBA. Not even in a "wink-wink, nudge-nudge, know-what-I-mean" round-about sort of way. Thank you

After two years of game threading, I still cannot find any video
evidence on the interwebs of the Pacers beating the Spurs. So until
the Pacers decide to beat the Spurs, I'll keep posting completely
irrelevant and potentially disturbing videos like...

Eight Points, Nine Seconds Review:

Jared Wade: Who Wants to Watch the Mediocrity Treadmill?

After nine games, Indiana has the second-worst offense in the league. Scoring only 92
points per 100 possessions, the Pacers are only bested in impotence by the winless
Washington Wizards. Things went from bad to worse this week, when the Pacers lost
on their home floor despite holding the Toronto Raptors to five fourth-quarter points,
then completely mailed in a game in Milwaukee.

At a 2011 conference dedicated to sports statistics, Kevin Pritchard coined — or at
least popularized — the phrase “mediocrity treadmill.” This NBA phenomenon, which
in broad terms is created by the rules governing salaries and player movement, is
something he suggested should be avoided at all costs. Its premise is simple: there is
no point in trying to put together an average team, so if you can’t shoot for the stars
then you should burn down your team and bury it underground.

Try to be great or try to be horrible, those are the only two ways to compete.

The problem with being average is that it is very expensive to do so and it
necessitates locking many middling players into long-term guaranteed contracts. And
in the process, you lose not only a legitimate shot to compete with the league’s elite
teams but also all financial flexibility to improve your team. So if you can’t acquire a
few truly great players who can carry you to a title, you should just liquidate the
roster and stock up on draft picks and young, improving players on rookie contracts
(which the collective bargaining agreement keeps artificially cheap no matter how
talented they are). The salary cap just doesn’t permit you to sign enough middle-of-
the-road, $8 million-per-year players to field a contender, so you need to bottom out,
clear cap space and retool the roster around a few highly productive players who earn
$15 million and a few more who make under $5 million.

The Pacers, much to the chagrin of most national basketball writers I have seen
discuss the subject, refused to bottom out. They have tried to take the mediocrity
treadmill route. Rather than admit their early millenium run was over and falling to
bottom of the standings — like the Heat, Nets Grizzlies and Timberwolves — the Pacers
haven’t won fewer than 32 games in any season since 1989. (It should be noted that
when Pritchard discussed the mediocrity treadmill at that MIT stats conference, he had
yet to be hired by the Pacers in any official capacity.)

One of the suspected motivations for the Pacers’ refusal to bottom out — and the one I
subscribe to — is that the franchise quite literally couldn’t afford to. After the Brawl, the
team’s fanbase was so turned off, so disgusted that those in power believed that a string
of sub-25-win seasons might lead to financial losses so large that it might force to owner
to sell. At worst, the result — especially if no Deron Williamses, Marc Gasols or Kevin
Loves were acquired, which is always a risk — could be the end of the Pacers in Indiana.
Or, less bad but still unacceptable, the franchise could get bad and stay bad for years
while owner Herb Simon took eight-figure financial losses each year for a decade as he
watched his team spiral the drain of irrelevance and futility.

Thus, their decision was at least understandable if still unpalatable. The on-court result
wasn’t pretty (Troy Murphy was second on the team in shots one year), but last year’s
attendance figures did start to show that the team’s paying fanbase, many members of
which swore off the team forever during the Jail Pacers era, was growing.

Coming into this season with high expectations, it looked like the Pacers had outrun the
mediocrity treadmill. Maybe they couldn’t beat the Heat, but they seemed to have a legit
shot at making the Eastern Conference Finals, and they would certainly once again be a
product worth watching.

Size remains a premium in the NBA, even as the league trends smaller and quicker.
Since their first round playoff loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the San Antonio Spurs
have been perceived as especially vulnerable to teams with large frontlines.

While head coach Gregg Popovich continues to audition frontcourt partners for Tim
Duncan—with Matt Bonner making a case for more playing time last night—the Spurs
had quietly upgraded and deployed size in less obvious ways than bringing in another
seven-foot shot blocker.

In trading George Hill for Kawhi Leonard and bringing back Stephen Jackson, gone
were the days of three guard lineups that stressed the Spurs defensive rotations
against any team with even a modicum of size on the wings. With two oversized
wings, the Spurs had an endless amount of roster versatility at their disposal and a
framework for better defense.

“With length at the two and three positions, often times can lend itself to a little bit
better overall defense,” Popovich said a season ago. “More deflections, more
contested shots, better rebounding, crowding the court a little bit more. All kinds of
little things that add up to big things can happen with bigger people.”

With Stephen Jackson out for a 4-6 weeks with a broken finger, and Kawhi Leonard
expected to be out for two weeks, the Spurs figure to be hurting for size.

“It’s difficult to lose any player, especially if you lost your starting small forward a
couple of games before,” Manu Ginobili said when asked about Jackson’s injury
after the game. “We’re going to be shorthanded for a while and we’ll have to figure
it out. It’s going to be hard but it’s a good test for us.”

Against the Los Angeles Clippers the Spurs failed that test. While the initial defense
remained stout in the fourth quarter, forcing the Clippers into a number of difficult,
contested shots, any defensive rotation from the frontcourt left the Spurs vulnerable
on the glass—which the Clippers exploited to great effect.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to avoidingtheclowns For This Useful Post:

Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

Yay, we can get to .500 just in time for 4 straight road games, thanks NBA!

I saw today the Grizz who have the best record in the West are just now playing their 11th game of the season tonight. We will be playing our 14th of which 8 have been on the road and then when we get a 4 game road trip.

Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

Yay, we can get to .500 just in time for 4 straight road games, thanks NBA!

I saw today the Grizz who have the best record in the West are just now playing their 11th game of the season tonight. We will be playing our 14th of which 8 have been on the road and then when we get a 4 game road trip.

That schedule and making adjustments to not having Granger are what is causing the slow start. If they can keep near .500 until this turns around, they should be in pretty good shape....

Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

I don't expect a win tonight.

However, I really hope that Hibbert and PG are going to have good games. If Hibbert ends the game with a double double and a few blocks on Duncan and PG scores 20 and grabs 6-8 rebounds it would be a great morale boost for them and it could turn the season around for us.

So, above everything I want to see a good performance by those two. Not that I wouldn't love a win. I'd love it

Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

I expect then to make a run at the Spurs tonight. Road games are hard for all teams.... This team will come around, patience grasshoppers....

I really don't understand what I'm reading... Two positive posts from OlBlu in the same thread?!?! Haha. Just ribbing ya OlBlu. I think we are in for a nice run to start tonight. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

i really do like our chances in this game, the Pacers are probably really confident right now, Hibbert just had a triple double, first of his career, Paul George just had his career high in points (37) last night, so you know they are feeling good and the team just won back to back games for the first time this season, plus San Antonio is minus to key players in Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson, I think we have a shot

Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

I really don't understand what I'm reading... Two positive posts from OlBlu in the same thread?!?! Haha. Just ribbing ya OlBlu. I think we are in for a nice run to start tonight. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I haven't been negative about the Pacers. I think management in a small market is doing about as well as they can..... I have lots of problems with the Colts and Irsay but the Simon family is a class act. They may make mistakes but their hearts are always in the right place. I don't mind mistakes. I don't tolerate outright lies well but since you bring it up, how about that RGIII.. Two games in a row that Mr. Luck will have trouble matching.... I didn't want you to think I have gone soft.....

Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

Oh and Hibbert vs Duncan.Enough said...
Really hope Roy will turn this (offensively) around but i definitely can't see him doing it tonight.

Hibberts trouble have nothing to do with a single player. 1 v 1 Hibbert can beat anyone. The only type of players he struggles against are short stout players who are strong and have a low center of gravity. That isn't Duncan. Hibbert has a history of strong performances against Duncan and Howard.

Re: 11/23/2012 Game Thread #14: Pacers Vs. Spurs

We must have been watching different games then.Whenever i have seen Hibbert against Duncan not only he was terrible,but also **** scared.Let me remind you that I'm talking about his offense.
The last game at San Antonio is still fresh.